


Strung Together by Fate

by moondustx



Series: Boundless [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Out of Character, adrienette - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-25
Updated: 2016-08-26
Packaged: 2018-08-10 21:33:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7861888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moondustx/pseuds/moondustx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A spellbinding saga of finding your soulmate in the most unlikeliest of places.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Two Worlds

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: This story is inspired from a TV series, and is thus incredibly AU and some characters are very OOC, such as Gabriel and some aspects of Adrien. His bond with Adrien is contrasting to what you would see in the show, so if you're a stickler for wanting to see characters in-character in fanfiction, I suggest you back out now.
> 
> Also, first-time posting a Miraculous Ladybug story. I know this fandom is filled with impeccable, incredibly talented writers, so please bare with me as I try to improve with each chapter. :)
> 
> Additional Notes:
> 
> Gardenia is a fictional town in France – where the roots of Adrien and Marinette's relationship all began.
> 
> A large backdrop of this story is a fictional religion with its own customs and traditions. You'll soon see why this is so.
> 
> Boundless: An Adrienette Fanfiction

**Location: Los Angeles, California, USA**

He lay in deep slumber, his legs sprawled across his bed as the incessant noise of his alarm clock ringtone reached his ears. _Alarm clock ringtone? Since when did his alarm clock make music or have tunes?_ He was too tired to reason with his mind, and made an effort to reach the alarm clock on his bed stool beside him with an outstretched arm. His head was still buried under his pillow in aggravation, as he struggled to reach his alarm clock and stop that pestering noise. His hands finally grabbed the circular object, and he fidgeted with it with his hands until it was face down on the oak surface.

Finding peaceful slumber again, he retracted his arm back to his bed.

However, the sound didn't stop. The tune kept going on and on like a ringtone. "Man, who could be calling this early?" He groaned to no one particular but himself, realizing that his phone was going off. He reached for his cellular as he extended his arm for the second time that morning. His hand continually obtained empty air as he tried to feel for his black, obsolete object; at last, he felt his phone in his fingers, and firmly grasped it, shutting off that noise that had been disturbing his slumber permanently.

"Hello?" He grumbled, putting his phone to his ear, his eyes weary and full of sleep.

Not a second later, his eyes shot wide open with utter shock as the words of the person on the other line sank into his ears. He immediately raised his upper body to get up, "WHAT! MARRIED?! Nononono you can't do this. I'm coming right now!" A split second later, he abruptly got out of his bed in a hurry, as if he had a life and death situation on his hands. His feet met the smooth, cool floor. It was a cream and golden-coloured hardwood floor. He was in such a hurry that he almost slipped on his two feet, but quickly regained his balance. Reaching for his phone on his bed under the covers, he swiftly left his posh and elegant dorm room, dashing out as if his life depended on it.

**Meanwhile…** in another part of the world, one more person had quite a busy agenda for the day, and was in quite the hurry.

**Locations: Gardenia (female) ; L.A. (male)**

She grabbed her scarf that matched her outfit for the day off the clothesline on her roof, humming a tune in the process.

_She didn't know who he was…_

He played with the fabric of his shirt, fastening the buttons at the wrists. Hurriedly, he slipped on his watch and tied the laces of his shoes.

_but he was out there somewhere – her soul mate, the one person she would want to spend her life with for eternity._

She smiled to herself as she left the roof, and carefully stepped into her room so as not to make a sound, hastily grabbing her bag off her study table in her room, as she was in a hurry to reach somewhere.

_Her heart believed so._

She walked through the courtyard of her home; peering behind the curtains, she watched as her mother was informing someone that the groom's family was coming to see Marinette today at exactly 6:00 P.M. sharp, and her father was engrossed in reading from the Holy Bible, his spectacles drooping down on his nose.

A grin appeared on her lips as she slyly stepped out the door, making each step forward with caution so that no one would notice her leave. Children squealed in delight upon seeing her ride her pink and white coloured bicycle with a matching pink basket at the front down the street.

_There would be nothing new about it – it would just happen. No trials or tribulations._

She rang her bell on her bike to say hi to the munchkins. Her blue, indigo hair blew from the wind; yellow-tinted flats on her feet; dangling earrings on her ears; and her red, luscious lips curved upwards into an innocent yet confident smile.

_That was how she imagined her story - A passionate story of love._

Carrying a white bag on his right shoulder, he ran like the wind, as fast as his legs could carry him down the bright, sunny American road bridge that surpassed the body of water beneath him; she pedaled down the busy, honking streets of Gardenia, moving past countless vehicles of all kinds – trucks, bicycles like her own, pedestrians, cars, luxurious SUV's, you name it.

_Whether it be her tranquil nature, or her passionate nature…_

The silhouette of his body ascended down the steps as he hurriedly jumped down to reach his destination. He still had a long way to go. Moreover, she continued to pedal down the narrow lanes, less traffic now imminent.

_Whether it be her happiness, or her grief…_

He shuffled his way past the busy streets, bumping shoulders with crowds of people as he was in a rush; she continued to pedal down the asphalt roads of Gardenia, a peaceful calm surrounding her as she felt tranquility.

_Whatever life he would lived, he would live…_

He hurriedly dodged his fellow campus students as he ran through the beautiful, evergreen campus; she pushed her legs harder to pedal faster down the roads.

_Whatever he would do, he would do for her…_

No time to waste, he sprinted through the American streets further, his run now accelerating into a heavy jog as if he was running a marathon; she continued to pedal down, eager to reach her destination.

_Boundlessly. Happiness, grief, his life, his actions – everything would soon be boundless._

People sitting in patio's on the side of the street filled with various shops and restaurants weirdly watched him as he sped down the streets as if his life depended on it. Both individuals pedaled and ran in their respective locations; it was crucial that both of them reach their desired destinations as soon as possible.

Little did they know, that their destinations and destinies would soon cross paths very soon.

_Everything between them would be boundless, no limits, no exceptions, no expectations. A journey of boundless love._

* * *

Seated in the back suit of his shiny white in colour, luxury, BMW car, Gabriel Agreste was talking over the phone to his dear friend in Gardenia – they were so close and he loved her like a sister. Sabine told him how Marinette, her daughter, was getting married soon (an arranged marriage at that) – and that the groom's family was coming to see her for the first time today.

After reassuring her that everything would go by smoothly and that he would pray to God for the same, Gabriel looked at the screen on his phone. His finger hovered over the contact number of Sabine's daughter Marinette, whose contact details were displayed on the phone. However, before he could call her, the image of his son's Dean popped up on his iPad on the empty seat beside him. His gaze wavered to the screen as he took it in his hands, surprised to see that the Dean of his son's college was video calling him via Skype.

"Mr. Matthews? Now what has my boy done now?" He sighed, knowing he mustn't be in class. "Where is my boy?"

* * *

"I'm right here!" Nino shouted, clad in a black tuxedo suit, his hair gelled up to perfection. He ran down the wedding aisle and finally arrived to his bride at the wedding altar. It was a wedding on the lake, and he couldn't be happier it seemed.

"Where have you been? I've searched for you everywhere!" She immediately interrogated like a clingy girlfriend as he ran up to her. His bride had a heavy Polish accent, seeing that she was a foreign exchange student at an architecture school in the same city.

"Darling," He appeased her, looking into her eyes. "I was just thinking about our future life together, and it's going to be _beau-tiful_. Come, let's get married." They both turned towards the priest in front of them.

"Before I solemnize this wedding, I need to ask – does anyone have a problem with this wedding?" He said in a monotone voice.

"Problem?" Nino shook his head, as the thought itself was incredulous. "I don't think anyone here has a problem," he answered to the Priest, looking back over his shoulder at the numerous guests attending the wedding – all of which who were the bride's family and friends.

The bride's left hand was gently clasped in Nino's, her face full of blush.

However, their happiness was short lived upon hearing those dreadful words – "I HAVE A PROBLEM!"

The smile on Nino's face faltered when he heard the words, but was confused as to where the voice was exactly coming from. It was quite familiar. The male voice seemed to come from the… sky? Hearing the turbulence from an air vehicle, everyone turned their attention towards the helicopter flying in the sky, approaching the wedding venue from afar. Everyone stood up from their seats to look at the white and blue coloured chopper nearing them. Some gaped away, while others put a hand on their forehead and narrowed their eyes at the flying object in the sky. Everyone was left utterly shocked… to say the least. Who could have such a big problem with the wedding that they would need to hire a helicopter? Who was sitting in the vehicle? And why?

A firm hand grasped the open door of the chopper, and then the other hand grasped on the other side. The individual seated in the cockpit of the helicopter now turned his body, sticking his leg towards the open sky in front of him. Sticking his other leg towards the front as well, he got up from his seat and stood, looking at the beautiful scene before him.

And that boy was none other than **Adrien Agreste.** Flamboyant, charismatic, and charming were just some of the adjectives that could be used to describe him. He believed in living life to the fullest.

His eyes twinkled with charisma. A smile played on his lips as he stood, and his hair blew strongly from the wind, enjoying the breeze in the air. Deep down, he was a nice guy at heart. The people that stood below him looked like small ants to him.

"I have a problem!" He declared through the microphone piece in his ear that acted as a megaphone so that everyone below him could hear.

Nino watched in horror and shock as Adrien stood right at the edge of the open door of the chopper – _what is he doing! He's gonna get himself killed!_

" _I_ have a problem with this wedding!" He objected.

The guests looked him up and down as they could faintly make out that he was wearing jeans and a white shirt. If they would have gotten a good look at him, which they soon would, he was a definite looker.

His smile turned into a wide grin all around as he placed his feet on the ledge and released his arms, extending them laterally, barely touching the blue and white metal of the chopper.

Adrien was one person who believed in living life _boundlessly_ – no expectations, no fear.

Bracing himself with no fear, he jumped down into the body of water beneath him. His arms spread out laterally to the side as he descended down and hovered slightly in the air.

The guests that were standing closer to the lake than others gaped wide open – their mouths open in the biggest o-faces imaginable, appalled at the boy's actions.

Adrien emerged out of the water seconds later, standing on his two feet – his lower body still submerged in the cool water of the lake. Profusely shaking his head left and right like a dog would when wet, he moved one slow step at a time with charisma towards the wedding venue in front of him. Finally reaching the steps that led to the connecting platform to the venue, he ascended the steps with style as he raked his hands through his hair in a backward fashion, combing and styling it with his fingers. Everyone gaped with large o-faces, jaws dropped as Adrien walked up the aisle as if it was a runway, and he a international supermodel. Needless to say, the female guests swooned as they noticed Adrien's white shirt had stuck to his chest like glue, courtesy of the adhesion of water. They felt like fainting right then and there.

The bride looked at Adrien in an appalled manner as he stood in front of her, clearly upset with why her wedding was being delayed.

"I have a problem!" He desperately objected again, looking at both Nino and his bride, and then at the Priest behind him. "Because the one who's getting married is my love!"

The bride looked at him in shock, she'd never seen him before in her life! Nino looked at her in bewilderment, moving his fingers gestured towards her and then moved them in Adrien's direction.

"I don't know him, I swear!"

"Lies, lies, all lies!" Adrien cried out in a dramatic manner. "So many promises we made to each other. And what, now you just swallow and spit them out?"

Nino looked at his bride with anger, shocked that his girlfriend had betrayed and cheated on him.

"But I deserve to ask one question." He declared, looking briefly at Nino, and then profusely at the bride.

Nino and the bride looked at each other in apprehension as Adrien glared them down.

The bride gasped loudly as Adrien abruptly and suddenly got down on his knees in less than a nanosecond, clasping Nino's hands desperately – "WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME? Why did you break my heart!"

Everyone standing by their chairs by the aisle made disgusted faces at Adrien's action, appalled at what he was both saying and doing. His intentions were clear miles away.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? Explain this to me right now! What is this, WHO is this?!" The bride began to hyperventilate, flailing her arms in the air, shocked at this new revelation. Nino was… like this? Oh, she'd been such a fool!

"Baby," he consoled her, desperately letting go of Adrien's hands firmly latched onto his. "I-I don't know him!" He turned back to look at Adrien on his knees, "Who are you!"

Adrien latched his hands onto Nino's again, standing back up on his two feet. "You could stop lying now, my love." He said in a seductive voice.

Nino became frightened and scared of him as he came even closer, their bodies having minimal space between them. He shivered and stuttered as Adrien spoke again seductively grazing his hand on Nino's heart, "I'm your only love."

"What about all those moments we spent together?" He said tenderly, as he softly put a hand on his right cheek, his hand lingering there.

Nino immediately pushed him away violently – "H-he-hey-y-yy! Wh-wha-whaa-whaat moments, huh!" "Moments," he mimicked in sarcasm. _Yeah right! I do NOT roll that way!_ He then turned to his bride, clearing up the confusion, "He's lying, man!"

"But who is he!" His bride objected.

"Oh, but I haven't come alone." Adrien said, coming closer to his so-called 'love' once again. "I've brought the symbol of our love with me," he told him, pinching his chin.

"S-s-sy-symm-symbol? What kind of symbol?" He stuttered, terrified of their proximity, and what Adrien was doing.

"Look over there!" Adrien turned his shoulders around to face the view behind him, "the proof of our love," his hands and head leaned on his shoulder.

Nino looked ahead, and saw an approaching golf cart driving towards them, and it seemed like there were heart-shaped _balloons_ all around it?

Adrien winked and chuckled seeing Nino's state as he looked curiously at the golf cart approaching them. The European female driving the cart stopped it a couple meters in front of them, a big heart shaped poster linked to the back of the golf-cart. The banner was the size of a bulletin board one would see in metropolitan cities like New York, and was shrouded by a white cloth, as what the poster actually was was yet to be revealed.

_A poster? But what's on it?_

Adrien eagerly awaited with a wide grin on his face as the young female behind the wheel got out from her seat and walked all around the cart, finally stopping right by the poster.

She revealed the poster, taking away the white sheet from the poster, revealing its contents. She did it just like a model would before revealing what's in the briefcase in an episode of 'Deal or No Deal'.

Nino had the biggest o-face ever imaginable as he gaped at the two photos on the poster. The one on top had Nino almost kissing Adrien's cheek, while the other had Adrien almost kissing Nino's cheek.

"Oh no!" The bride shouted, looking away. She couldn't even look. In fact, her bridesmaids, guests, everyone gaped in surprise seeing the romantic poster.

Nino gritted his teeth nervously, knowing that this was Adrien's trick. He turned his head towards Adrien, who had a wide smile on his face and was quirking his eyebrows at him, as he was proud of what he had managed to do in such a less amount of time. Nino glared at him, fisting his right hand, air punching him. _You're so dead, Adrien._ Adrien laughed in return.

Both of the boys' attention turned towards Nino's so-called bride as she spoke.

"Cheater! You cheater! You lied to me!" Adrien let go of Nino and stood beside him, witnessing their breakup.

"What is this!" She turned him around by the shoulder, "You liar, you cheat! I HATE YOU!" Giving a hefty slap on the cheek, she fled down the aisle.

"Baby wait!" Nino immediately started to run after his ex-bride who had her posse of bridesmaids behind her, but was swiftly turned back around by Adrien.

Adrien put his arm around his shoulder, and started to walk in the other direction, away from the wedding venue. He whispered in a low voice, "Where are _you_ going, my friend. Just follow my lead and do as I say, ok. Just let me do what I'm doing."

Nino looked like a confused puppy as he listened on, "HOW MANY TIMES have I told you to _not_ get involved with girls who drag you straight to the wedding altar." He let go of his arm around his shoulder and stood in front of him, "If it wasn't for me, you'd have went from happily single to _unhappily married_."

Nino pondered the thought then looked up at a smiling Adrien, "Oh yeah! You saved me, bro! I could've been majorly done for my whole life." Adrien grinned in response, his best friend was back.

"Hey, but where did you get those kissing pics?" Nino asked, his attention towards the poster still near them.

"That.. is just the magic of photoshop, my friend," Adrien leisurely answered, putting his arms around his shoulders in a friendly manner.

"'Magic of photoshop,'" he grumbled in mimickry, taking his hands off his shoulders. _Grow up, Adrien!_ "And I've been calling you for so long! Where _is_ your phone?"

Adrien's _friend_ that had revealed the poster to everyone was standing beside the golf cart. Her eyes drifted to the iPhone that was in her hands – a contact by the name of "Darling" was calling. "Darling? Who's this _darling_?"

She picked up the phone and put it to her ear, "Hello?"

"Now who are _you?_ " Adrien's father spoke on the other line. _Yet another girlfriend of his perhaps? Adrien was again up to no good_. "Where's Adrien?"

"First you tell me." She barked rudely at him. "Who are _you?_ Who is this _darling_?"

Gabriel sighed profusely with a slightly annoyed face, "I'm Adrien's father speaking."

The pupils of her eyes immediately dilated with shock, oh no _._

"Please give the phone to Adrien." He curtly asked in a calm manner.

"Ohh! Sorry, Mr. Agreste. Sorry sorry sorry! … Yeah."

"Darling!" She called out to Adrien, "it's Darling calling!"

Adrien nervously wavered his eyes, dashing to get his phone back from her.

"Why'd she have to pick up Dad's call?" He grumbled quietly to himself as he took his phone in his hands and turned away from her.

"Hi Dad!" He answered as he walked forward.

"Where are you?"

"I um, Dad, uh I'm in college – in class." He said coolly.

"I see. Turn on your skype."

The colour from Adrien's face immediately flushed out, and he looked himself down as he noticed that his t-shirt was still drenched.

"I want to see you sitting in your classroom," his father urged, knowing quite well that he was lying.

"Skype?" He stammered and stuttered. "I'm in class, how can I?"

"Stop lying to me Adrien. C'mon, turn on your Skype. I want to see you _now._ " His father declared, giving him an ultimatum.

Having no choice but to agree, Adrien answered "o-okay Dad."

* * *

Gabriel was walking towards his cabin, when his iPad in hand alerted with a skype call. He opened it to find the screen of Adrien gleaming at him with a smile, waving his fingers at him. "Hi Dad!"

"How's it going, my boy?"

"Nothing much. I just thought of getting some fresh air." He looked at his screen more closely, seeing Adrien leaning against a balcony railing overlooking a lake.

The image of Mr. Matthews calling on his skype appeared in the bottom right corner of the screen. He enlarged the faculty member's image and paused his call with his son, so that the images of Mr. Matthews and Adrien were now side by side in one frame.

"Mr. Agreste. Your son is just not interested in studies." The Dean spoke with a heavy British accent. "He never comes to college, and whenever he does, he's only interested in being with the girls."

He paused the conversation just like he had with Adrien, and unmuted his conversation with Adrien. "The thing is, I was getting a headache from all this studying. College, study. College, study. That's what you sent me here for right – MBA? That's what I'm doing," he told his father with a flamboyant smile.

Putting a hand in his pockets as he walked closer to his cabin and turning a corner, "my boy. I'm sure if you've studied so hard, your grades should be top-notch as well."

Adrien's face immediately faltered, knowing his grades were nowhere near up to par. "Oh Dad! Wow, you're too good! You already know what I'm gonna say to you!" He told him enthusiastically as he stepped away from the balcony and stepped onto a rock ledge in front of him.

Gabriel sat in his plush leather chair behind his desk in his cabin, switching on his plasma TV to see the images that were on his iPad now on his plasma TV.

He paused his conversation with Adrien, and went back to Mr. Matthews's.

"I was just about to tell you the result, Mr. Agreste."

"I aced the entire university, aced the entire college!" Gabriel paused Mr. Matthews's conversation again, and went back to Adrien.

"Your son has _flunked_. He has FAILED!" Mr. Matthews told Adrien's father as he returned the conversation back to Mr. Matthews. "He has brought shame on this whole college – "

PAUSE.

"You should'a seen the look on that Matthews's face Dad! It was all scrunched up in shock with narrow eyes and everything! He wasn't even expecting me to pass!"

PAUSE.

"Mr. Agreste – it is no longer a surprise."

PAUSE.

"Your son just _loves_ to surprise you!"

"Of course. I know. You've 'aced' it." He told his son, and Adrien smirked with happiness on the other side. "When are you coming back to France?"

"Whenever you say Dad! I can come in a couple of days."

"Tomorrow. You're coming to France tomorrow." He declared. "I really feel like embracing you," he said with a half-sarcastic tone seething out of his voice.

Adrien sighed. "Me too, Dad. I feel like hugging you tight too. I'll come home _tomorrow._ Bye dad!" He waved his fingers goodbye, and Gabriel shut his TV off.

His eyes suddenly drifted towards the purple beautifully-wrapped package on his desk. He opened it delicately, and found a Cross Pendant Fused Glass Pendant inside. He took it in his hands, and eyed it with admiration. It was beautiful. Beautiful as the one who had sent the religious gift. Peering inside the package more, he found a letter.

He picked the piece of paper from the package, and put the pendant back in the package momentarily.

_Hi, Gabriel._

_This is a cross pendant that I bought for you. This Friday, I'll be going to the sacred Church and will pray for your well-being._

_Goodbye._

In Gardenia - Her boat finally landed onto the shore, and she firmly placed her foot at the shore in the water.

Without a second thought, Gabriel knew only person could be so thoughtful of him.

" _Marinette._ " He voiced out.

"She went all the way to the Church on the other side of town without telling anyone?"

* * *

She walked inside, and stood at the very front near God's altar. She bent her head down and clasped her hands together, intertwining her fingers to pray silently.

_Well God. I prayed for Gabriel's well-being. Now let's talk about me. Mom says that my life is about to change_.

And that exact change was in America – Adrien was raising his hands in the air, feeding off the energy of his peers as he partied the night away. He did numerous fist pumps in the air as he stood on a table, numerous of his friends cheering him on below.

Marinette opened her eyes, and they revealed themselves. They were a deep-sea blue, full of innocence and simplicity. She was a carefree, modern, and lively girl. She raised her head to face the altar.

_Mom says that God is going to send someone for His darling child._

And that SOMEONE was currently enjoying himself with his friends, partying away under the disco-lights that scanned the dance floor.

_I hope that who God sends, I hope he's the best guy in the world!_

Adrien's friends lifted him on their hands, as he soared through the crowds, chanting his name.

_He will, won't he?_

Adrien continued to party away, it was pure bliss fist pumping and dancing with his friends.

Marinette unwove her fingers and stood up.

Two very similar people, both strong-headed, both lively, carefree, and both individuals immensely loved Gabriel. However, they clearly belong to two different worlds. But what did destiny have in store for them? How will they fall in love?

How would the journey of boundless love begin?

Wait and Watch.

 

 

 


	2. Mr. Right?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Marinette describes her dream man, and Adrien returns to Paris, home.

Realizing that she forgot that her possibly future groom's family is coming to see her today, she quickly got into the row boat that she arrived in just as it was leaving the shore.

It was now quarter to six, and Marinette was leisurely paddling in the lake with her oar, one stroke at a time; The oar guy who had brought her to the church via his boat was sitting on the other side, paddling away with his oar. Hearing her cell phone ring, she stopped her stroke midway, reaching her left hand for her phone in her bag.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Mari, this isn't fair. Mom's glaring me down as if everything that's going down here is all my fault." Her sister worriedly complained.

"I'm coming," she reassured her. "I'm almost at the shore." Marinette continued to paddle through the waters with one hand grasped onto the oar. "So – what's the scene at home?"

"Mari, we've got a pretty bad scene on our hands." Her sister turned over her shoulder to see the groom and his mother and father sitting on the living room couch, "they've been here for half an hour already."

Marinette's eyes immediately dilated in surprise, her oar hovering in the air. "Oh dang! Such keeners – they came early? Have they come curtly or rudely? Oh, and they didn't bring their whole bandwagon of family, did they?"

"Nah, Mari. But one thing's for sure – (turning head over shoulder to look at the boy and his parents) – they've definitely forgotten their manners as soon as they saw the food." Alya continued, "they've gulped down 3 plates of bread and 2 plates of pastries already!" She said with a smile.

Marinette laughed, and the sister-duo shared a few laughs as they made fun of the family sitting in the room behind Alya.

"Okay tell me something – what about the guy?" She asked excitedly, curious to know what her possibly future husband was like.

"Oh him? He's in his own dreamland – he's been staring at your photo in his hands the whole time," she told her as she looked back briefly to see Nathaniel dreamingly gazing at Marinette's photo like no tomorrow.

"So? Let him look all he wants." Rolling her eyes, she went on, "if the photo doesn't have a problem, then why would I?"

" _Mariiiiii._ It's gonna be a HUMONGOUS problem if you don't get home in time!"

"Yeah yeah, I'm coming." She hung up quickly, hurriedly putting the phone back in her bag. She clasped her hands back onto the oar more firmly than before in a determined manner, and dipped into the water to push the boat faster.

Arriving at the docks, the small boat finally came to a stop, coinciding along with the other many boats lined along the shore. Marinette gave the oar to the man across from her and then grabbed her bag lain beside her. She stood up firmly so as not to topple, and handed the man a five Euro bill.

"Here ya go – five Euros."

She stepped out in a rush to leave, but the man's words stopped her in her tracks.

"It's ten euros, ma'am." He objected.

"Well, I used one of the oars to row the boat, so that's why you get five euros." She hurriedly replied in justification. She hastily got out of the boat and onto the wooden dock as the boat rower still objected, "But ma'am my ten euros – "

"I'm late!" She answered back as she ran forward, towards her bike.

* * *

Later that night on the terrace of their home, Marinette was massaging her mother's tired shoulders from all the hectic shenanigans of the day. And all for what? For her daughter to not even come home in time to see the boy and his family? All that hard work for nothing.

"I said I'm sorry, Maman. _Mother?_ I know I made a mistake." Marinette apologized in a pleading manner to her mother as she massaged her shoulders and back, but her mother remained miff, and looked ahead.

" _Yeah,_ " her adopted sister Alya scoffed, rubbing it in, "ya made a HUGE mistake all right." It wasn't everyday she got to see her darling, perfect sister get the cold shoulder. She was really getting a kick out of this, but she loved her sister all the same.

"Oh, shut it." She glared as she kneaded harder into the muscles of her mother's shoulder and back. "Rub it in, why don't you."

"She's right," her mom intervened, finally speaking after a long silence. "If you would have been home, then the alliance would have been fixed on the spot." She disappointingly said, knitting the sweater in her hands.

Marinette groaned, "How could it just 'be fixed', just like that?" She opened her mouth to speak again, "And all you care about is their approval or disapproval, what about _my_ approval?"

Hearing Marinette's forsaken words, Sabine's hands lingered and froze midway as she was using the needles to knit the sweater.

"Has anyone even bothered to ask me if I approve of this alliance or not?" Her mother pondered at Marinette's words. "What kind of guy _I_ want?" Marinette grumbled.

Sabine abruptly turned around in her seat to face her, appalled that she had the audacity to say such forsaken words – "Oh mon Dieu!" She cried out. "Alya, go and close the door right now!"

Scared of her outburst, Alya hurriedly went to close the door as her mother continued, "Your Aunt Holly is here, she'll hear everything!" She was very conservative, and the notion of a love marriage was itself taboo to her.

Once she closed the door, Marinette looked at her mother in fear as she glared at her. She looked down unable to meet her smoldering eyes, when all of a sudden she felt her nudge her shoulder playfully. "Now tell me," she said with a smile. "What kind of boy do you want in your life?"

The trio laughed at this lighthearted moment.

Blush crept on her cheeks as she thought of her version of Mr. Right. "Mom, I do have an image of him in my mind," she gushed. " **Completely blurry and vague** _."_

_Blurry. Just like Adrien's glistening silhouette as he descended the steps of his residence at sunrise under the blue sky, ready to go back home._

She stood up and started to walk around her mother and sister, ecstatic in explaining her dream boy to them, " **There's this way he carries himself**."

_Adrien stepped foot into the airport halls, walking with style. Every woman's head would turn when he would walk in. Charismatic, electrifying, magnetic._

" **You know, flamboyant - the hero types**." _My modern knight in shining armour._

_Adrien stood on the escalator with his suitcase on the floor of the step he was standing on. Wherever he went, wherever he stood, he always attracted attention towards himself because of his exuberance, confidence, and stylishness. Clad in fitted jeans, a rusty brown v-neck and a casual, stylish orange-coloured Fit Zip Jacket, he walked on with a charming smile, proceeding towards his check-in._

" **Always a smile on his face**." She described to them as she walked towards her balcony.

_Adrien happily handed the airline agent his passport and visa, eager to get home._

_Nino jolted Adrien as he stood in front of the woman behind the check-in desk, surprising him from behind. After the initial surprise of seeing him, Adrien smiled and laughed. There was never a dull moment in his life._

_The voice of the check-in agent rung in Adrien and Nino's ears while they were laughing with each other, causing their eyes to shift towards her._

_"That's all good and fine sir, but you'll have to pay for extra luggage," she informed him with a boring, monotone voice. She looked at her computer screen in front of her as a big watermark of "OVERLOAD" in crimson red appeared over the suitcase that Adrien had put in the system. Its total weight was 40 kg, whereas the limit of one piece of luggage in travel was 35 kg._

_"50 dollars per kg," she added, as a matter of fact._

_Nino smirked, grabbing his shoulders, "Mr. Adrien, time to loosen your pockets, my friend. Fifty dollars for every kilogram," he teased, challenging him._

_What would Adrien do now?_

" **Smart, intelligent, who can solve any situation in the blink of an eye,"** she described, snapping her fingers at the end.

_Nino watched with a smile as Adrien took off his stylish jacket, and put it by his suitcase that was on the black assembly belt._

_The airline agent stood up from her seat in surprise, her eyes wide open with shock – "What are you doing?"_

_She looked at the luggage assistant behind her in curiosity, wondering what the boy in front of her was up to as he started to unzip his suitcase, and pull out a yellow slim-fitted, long-sleeved Henley t-shirt, wearing it on top of his v-neck thin material shirt. The crowd of people lined up single file behind him peered at him, watching him pull out another blue-coloured zip vest and wear it on top of the yellow shirt._

_Adrien quirked his eyebrows at her, enjoying seeing her flustered state, continuing to pick up yet another sweater vest from his open luggage, pulling it over his head to wear._

_Picking up yet another dark brown coloured leather jacket and putting it onto his layered body, Adrien quirked his eyebrows and winked at the male luggage attendant behind the female airline agent, inwardly laughing at his baffled state._

_He barely managed to slide his arms in to the orange jacket he was previously wearing, tugging on it so that it would slide onto his shoulders. Finally all set, he flashed a gleaming smile the female agent's way._

_"It's pretty cold today. Can you please check the bag now?"_

_She did as told, clicking a few buttons to pull up the luggage screen again. The total weight of his suitcase now amounted to 34 kilograms, right under the benchmark of 35 kilograms. "Sir now it's fine," slight reluctance clear in her voice. She had expected the son of renowned chain of hotel owner Gabriel Agreste to simply pay the amount for luggage overload, but was surprised at the money-smart actions he had taken, choosing to not blow his father's hard-earned money on trivial expenses._

_"I know," he said with a smug smile._

_"Thank you," he curtly said with a smirk on his face, taking his boarding pass from the desk and leaving the check-in area with an aura that spelled confidence, charm, and wit._

" **Someone who is well-mannered – respects seniors and those elders to him."** Marinette continued to describe what traits she'd like in her future life partner.

_Seated in their seats in their gate area, awaiting the departure time of their flight, Adrien noticed an elderly couple with hefty handbags in their arms standing near the seats, looking for a spot to sit in. They seemed tired from probably their last transit flight, exhausted to the core. Nino had just been minding his business in the hard seat next to him, when he noticed Adrien stand up from his seat abruptly._

_"Hey guys, c'mon get up! Go go go," he urged the two youngsters sitting in front of him to get out of their seats, and make way for the two seniors. "Move!" He shouted at them, practically making them give up their seats._

_Before they could even know what was going on, Adrien had beckoned the two seniors to sit in their places._

_"Thank you," the elder man said politely, thanking him for his kind gesture as he sat beside his wife._

_"You're welcome, sir." He answered back in just the same polite manner, easing back into his seat beside Nino. Adrien started to take some of his layers off, placing them into his backpack by his seat._

_Nino watched the whole scene, and silently snickered in laughter – Ah Adrien. The bastard – won't give up his own seat, but'll instead make others give up theirs. Priceless._

" **The guy should be funny – who has a good laugh himself, and makes others laugh too."** Marinette said with a smile, just thinking about her dream guy.

_Nino couldn't control his laughter when Adrien started to impersonate Mr. Matthews, making funny faces._

_Pointing his index finger in a glaring manner as if he was the posh Dean of the faculty, he mimicked, "YOU YOU ADRIEN AGRESTE. You're FAIL (tilting his head to the side, flailing his arms laterally, impersonating him), you're FLUNK (squinting his eyes, imitating him with hand gestures)! YOU YOU NINO LAHIFFE, You're FAIL, you're FLUNK! YOU YOU HENRY MARTA, You're FAIL, you're FLUNK!"_

_Nino was laughing so hard he kept slapping his thighs, and looked at his best friend as he laughed along, "I mean c'mon Matthews, pass someone already!" Adrien commented in between laughs, making fun of his ex-dean._

**THAT…** was how Marinette imagined her dream guy to be.

The sound of her mother's voice interrupted the dreamland she was in - "Hmm… someone who's always smiling, can solve any given problem in any situation…" Marinette turned her face towards the left to see her mother standing beside her, pondering about the qualities she aspired to have in her future husband.

"… Well-mannered, yet funny? Hey, that sounds just like you!" Her mom excitedly told her.

Marinette's eyes widened at her mother's revelation. _Me?_ She'd never thought of it that way. Sabine Cheng grabbed a hold of her daughter's shoulders, turning her around to face her, "You want a guy like you?" She asked with a smile.

"Like me? Uhm, well if he is like me, there's nothing wrong with that." _I guess._ "But he _does_ have to have all _these_ qualities."

Sabine laughed at her daughter's cute antics.

"So tell me," she asked her mother, "does your Nathaniel Kurtzberg… fit the bill?" She questioned apprehensively.

Sabine's smile dropped upon hearing her daughter's innocent question. She remembered how Nathaniel just kept boring his eyes into his daughter's photo that was in his right hand. He didn't say a word – he was shy, conservative, but he WAS well-mannered and responsible!

Stammering briefly, "Uh- of course Marinette! Of course he is, in fact he's JUST like what you described!" She didn't have the heart to let her daughter's hopes down.

Marinette immediately started to blush hearing her mother's words. In her mind, she began to imagine her whole life around him. But there was still one thing..

"Okay fine, but I won't approve of him until I see his photo." _It's only fair._

Sabine still had a sullen look on her face as Marinette's phone began to ring, and she rushed to pick it up.

"Ah It's Gabriel!" She gushed out excitedly; her sister also ran towards where Marinette was, ecstatic at the voice of their favourite person. He was like the Uncle they never had… in a way.

* * *

The next day, Gabriel descended the lavish and extravagant marble stairwell of his home, as he was on his phone conversing with Sabine and Tom on the other line, yet again. He congratulated them for the alliance of Marinette and Nathaniel's marriage, as Marinette had finally agreed to marry him upon his insistence. Gabriel had nevertheless also made Sabine and Tom promise her that they would show her a photo of Nathaniel .

Gabriel made relentless efforts to give monetary aid to her family as a gift for her darling Marinette, but Sabine and Tom bluntly refused again and again. All they wanted was his presence at her wedding. That would be the greatest gift of all.

As he walked down the elegant halls of his mansion still talking to Sabine and Tom as he held his phone to his ear, one of his butlers approached him, "Sir, Adrien is here."

"Adrien's here?" Gabriel repeated, ecstatic his son was finally back home after a long period of seven years. "I'll be right there," he told his servant.

"ADRIEN'S HERE?!" Sabine repeated in ecstasy, shouting through the phone while it was on speaker. It'd been more than fifteen years that she'd last seen her Adrien.

Surprised at the excitement in her voice but yet happy, Gabriel replied, "Oh yes, sorry I forgot to tell you." He had been so busy in work since he owned a multinational chain of hotel companies, and on top of that, the New Years' Party that he was to host was but a couple days away. It had totally slipped his mind to inform Adrien's favourite person of his arrival.

"Well Gabriel, if you're so busy with your work, why don't you send Adrien over here to Gardenia?" Sabine suggested, excited.

"Yes, of course!" Tom Dupain perked up, agreeing with his wife.

Gabriel pondered at the same, it wasn't a bad idea. Plus, it'd be nice for him to go visit Gardenia again.

* * *

Adrien had finally come back home – home sweet home. He missed it, the people, the place, the moments. It'd been 7 years. Too long of a time. He looked out the circled, glass window of the front extravagant door as he took his lavish home in. To say it was beautiful… was an understatement. It was beyond that, no words could describe the elegance of the mansion. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see an indoor waterfall fountain, and as he opened the doors and entered in, he became awestruck.

He stretched his arms and yawned, tired from the jet lag he got on the flight. But he was happy. Happy to be back home with the people he loved.

His mother greeted him in a motherly fashion, embracing him; yet, she did it in such a manner that she still maintained poise and class, being the high-society woman she was. He hugged his mother back warmly, and they both walked on into the main foyer of the mansion.

After some moments of small-talk, his mother finally popped the dreaded question – "And what about your grades?" Her voice was stern, her lips formed into a thin line, seriousness all around.

Before Adrien even had the opportunity to give an answer to his mother, his father approached them with a proud smile, "My son has _aced_ , as they say in America!" He chuckled deeply and heartily as he stood in front of his wife and son.

"Oh really?" She commented, unable to believe her husband's words. "I'm sure if he's _aced_ his exams, he's bound to have some kind of grade-sheet." She challenged, knowing very well of his son's nature that he probably didn't take school seriously yet again.

Prepared for every kind of situation, Adrien smugly pulled out a rolled piece of paper from inside of his jacket, but became surprised when his father had done the same thing. Danielle eyed the two boys in front of her as their faces dropped seeing each others' rolled papers.

 _Give me those!_ She snatched both papers from their hands, unrolling each one.

Both boy and man looked down at the ground as if they were about to get caught by the principle in school.

As Emilie sternly rolled open Adrien's paper in a focused manner, both father and son glared each other down. Her eyes scanned down the legitimate-looking laminated paper.

_University of California, Los Angeles_

_A_

_A_

_A+_

… _._

_Final grade: A++_

The trio repeated their actions for Gabriel's paper, and Emilie finally spoke, announcing the verdict.

Looking at her son, she spoke, "Your report card says A double plus," (now looking at her husband) "…and yours says A _triple_ plus."

"Hmm?" Gabriel innocently raised his head towards his wife, which was previously lowered on the ground, taking interest in the shiny, marble floor.

"The both of you could have at least talked to each other before making these fake report cards."

"What are you saying, Emilie?" He faux scoffed in shock. With slight nervousness, he continued on, "That's ridiculous. Why would I make a fake report card?"

" _Mr. Gabriel_ , what did you think? Mr. Matthews only talks to you?" She looked at her husband sternly, appalled that he always took his son's education so lightly.

Adrien nervously looked around, anywhere but at his mother. If looks could kill, he'd definitely be a dead lamb.

"Oh, who is _Matthews_ to give a degree to my son!" _Saved by the Darling._ "I've uh, decided that he will uh – he will.. learn on the job! Yes. Right Adrien?"

"Right, Dad." Adrien said right back, coinciding with his father's words. They both exchanged a fist punch between them.

"And from tomorrow, he'll join me at work!"

"Right, Dad." _Fist punch._

"And on the 31st of December, he'll help out in planning out the company's New Years' Party, right Adrien?"

"Absolutely, Dad." _Fist punch_.

Emilie watched with wide eyes at the playful interaction between her husband and her son. "Great, just great. Spoil him some more, why don't you." She gave a deathly stare to her husband, and Gabriel flinched in return.

"Anyway. Go and get changed quickly," she told her son sternly, turning her attention towards him now. "Lunch will be ready in 15 minutes. I want you there." Emilie sauntered off away from them, down the foyer towards the kitchen, leaving father and son alone in the grand hall.

"You knew, didn't you. And still, you…" He trailed off, grateful for having the best dad in the world. "You're a _darling_ , Dad!" He said, coming closer to him and putting his hands on his shoulders. "But who gets an A triple plus?"

"Well, you said you 'aced' it, so I thought instead of giving you a double A plus… I mean, everyone gets an A++, you're Gabriel Agreste's son after all, so I gave you a triple A!" He explained with a hearty deep chuckle, patting his shoulders.

"But seriously Dad. You know the truth… I'm so relieved." He hated lying to his father. He meant the world to him. Adrien immediately enveloped his father into an embracing hug.

"Brat." Gabriel commented playfully as he wrapped his arms around his son.

Finally pulling away, Gabriel spoke, "Now go on and get ready for lunch. I'll see your leave, mhhm?"

Adrien nodded with a smile as his father left to go to work.

* * *

"Nat-Nat!" He exclaimed as he hugged his live-in nanny and head housekeeper from behind as she was busy in the kitchen. "You forgot me, didn't you. You didn't call or message me once while I was gone!"

"There wasn't a day in these past seven years that went by that I didn't think of you." She warmly said to him.

"Okay, now open your hands." Adrien excitedly told her. Not able to bear the excitement, he pulled out her hands, the palms open.

Nathalie became surprised seeing the gold earrings in her open hands. "Earrings? Now what on Earth will I do with these? You should give these to your future wife," she teased.

"The thing is, Nathalie, the girl that I want… doesn't exist," Adrien told her with a know-it-all smirk on his lips as he casually hung his arm around her shoulder. "And if she doesn't exist, then what's the point in waiting?"

"God has a soulmate for every human on Earth. And the girl that He's picked out for you – she'll be the _best_ girl in the world."

And she really was the best girl in the world. Not only did she have the brains, but she also had the brawns. Tomboyish, yet girly; well-mannered, yet spunky. The one girl that would teach Adrien what love was really all about – the one girl who Adrien would BOUNDLESSLY love to no extent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time on Boundless:
> 
> Gabriel: "Adrien, go live a little in Gardenia. Maybe you can find a new meaning there."
> 
> Adrien stared out his window on the bus in Gardenia, and was shocked to find Marinette on her bike right beside her in the road lane next to him. He immediately got off the bus in pursuit of her, following her to an old, historical castle.
> 
> Adrien and Marinette had finally come face to face, and Marinette's face instantly grew ecstatic at the sight of Adrien before her, getting butterflies in her stomach, not able to believe her eyes.


	3. The Illusion of the Envelope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Marinette and Adrien are finally come face to face, but with a price. A case of mistaken identity,

Marinette wandered into the living room in the pursuit of the letter, which deemed to contain Nathaniel's photograph. Nearly in her hands, her sister and her friends decided to mess around with her and snatch the letter away. And thus began this petty game of 'find the envelope.'

In the courtyard, two white-coloured envelopes lay on the coffee table. A gust of wind swept by, sweeping one of the envelopes off the table and onto the ground near the leg of the table; it was now away from Marinette's line of sight. Swiftly walking into the courtyard to see a white-coloured envelope lying on the table, her face at once lit up at the notion of it being the same one she had had in her hand moments ago before her sister took it away from her. Marinette strutted up to the table, taking the envelope in her hands. Before opening it, she gazed at it, getting excited of what she thought could be inside it; the thought itself of at last seeing the man she'd be spending her life with made her happy to no extent. Looking around to make sure no one was watching her, she started to open up the flap in excitement.

Marinette felt the thin, paper material of the photograph as she pulled it out of the envelope. Her eyes dilated at the sight of the features of the person on the photograph as she began to pull the contents of the envelope out. She saw blonde hair first that was styled in a sideswept manner, each hair styled up to perfection, and that exhilarated her to pull it out further, now revealing his face. _He was alluring_ , her heart told her as her eyes looked at **Adrien** **'s face** on the photo in wonder. Her heart skipped at the sight of his silky, layered hair, and green eyes that reminded her of her favourite season, spring. She couldn't stop gazing now; there was no turning back. His face was now forever etched in her mind – her future husband, her future soulmate. She pulled it out further to show an elegant royal suit he was wearing; he looked no less than a prince from a Disney movie. It was obvious that the photo she was looking at was most likely a shot from a model photo shoot.

Indeed, it was. Unbeknownst to her, Gabriel had sent Sabine one of Adrien's model photo shoots so that Sabine and her family could recognize him when he would come to Gardenia to help out with the wedding preparations.

A smile played on her lips as Marinette innocently looked at his photo, etching his visage into her mind and heart forever. 

"So this is Nathaniel Kurtzberg." Blush crept onto her cheeks as she imagined the man in the photo as her soul mate, her future life partner. Doves perched in the courtyard soared in the air, signaling the start of a new story. A story – that would begin with just a teeny misunderstanding.

* * *

Adrien and Nino walked in through the doors of Agreste Royale, the main headquarters of Gabriel Agreste's hotel franchise. Nino was going bonkers at the thought of _Adrien_ working. As in job working.

"Dude, you're gonna _work?!_ I mean, _you_ and _work!_ That's crazy, man. Plus, what about our Bangkok trip for New Years'? I already booked two tickets!"

But Adrien was calm, cool, and collected as he walked on into the reception lobby. "Look, Dad said to work, so I'll have to work _a bit_. And as for Bangkok –" He froze midway his sentence as his legs slowed to a halt, and his eyes wandered to an attractive woman clad in a red-orange dress, walking towards the reception desk. Her hair was long and brown with bangs, and courtesy of the high dress she was wearing, she also had toned, smooth legs. "Oh, we're going to Bangkok all right," Adrien told his friend as he looked at him. But his eyes were on the _ooh-la-la_ lady in front of him, "But not two, three. Book another ticket."

Oblivious to Adrien's sly thoughts, Nino asked, "Now who's the third?!" He just didn't understand his best friend sometimes.

—

Felix, Adrien's older brother, was surprised to feel Adrien's touch on his shoulders as he was stuck in a fix. He was conversing with his wife on the phone while the attractive lady before him kept pestering him as they stood near the reception desk. Why wouldn't she just let him be?

"What's wrong bro? Any problem?"

 _You're a total lifesaver_. Felix looked at his brother, "Yes. Could you take her to Mr. Hunt please? Thanks." And with that, he left the lobby, talking to his wife on the phone, "Whaat? No, _ma cherie_. That girl…."

Adrien cleared his throat and tugged on his leather jacket as he took a step closer to the belle in front of him.

"Hi." He said with a lilt in his voice.

"Hi," Lila said politely.

"So… Shall we?"

"Where?"

"If you want, to Mr. Hunt. _Or…_ I have some better plans."

"Better plans like?" Lila questioned.

"Please, walk with me." He told her, waving his hand to walk in front of her – _ladies first._

—

Marinette looked at Adrien's photo, which now stuck taped on her dressing table mirror.

"Nathaniel Kurtzberg. I totally thought at first by your name, you'd be some geeky nerd or something. But no, you're quite alright," she said a monologue to herself in an exciting manner, admiring his face on her mirror.

All of a sudden, she heard her sister calling out for her, and immediately took off the photo from the mirror and hid her hand behind her back. Alya walked into the room, and she seemed quite tense and worried. It was as if she was looking for something as if her life depended on it.

"What. Why are you wandering around like a sullen ghost?" She asked her, rolling her eyes.

"I can't find that envelope!" She answered back, tensed. It had Adrien's photo in it, and her mother was quite worried about the same. How was she going to recognize her darling Adrien now?

"Well, I found _my_ envelope. Now scram."

"Thank God you found your envelope," she answered back as she continued to rummage through the stuff in Marinette's room. "But then where did _that_ envelope go?" Alya muttered to herself. Not finding any luck, she grudgingly left the room. _Mom was gonna have a fit._

As soon as her younger sister left, Marinette immediately perked up. Bringing her hand out from behind her back to in front of her, Marinette revealed Adrien's photo again in her hands. She giggled, "So where was I?"

—

"So you're a TV celebrity – Lila Rossi." Adrien affirmed as the duo walked on in the halls of Agreste Royale. "I mean, you're such a good dancer, a great performer. And you're gonna perform in _this_ hotel?" His tone suggested the idea that performing at Agreste Hotels franchise was not up to her standards.

"You're saying that about your own hotel chain?"

"I wasn't saying because of _my_ hotel, I was just saying it for _you_ ," he justified himself, turning his body towards her as he spoke. "I mean, you should be in, say, Bangkok! With me."

Before Lila had a chance to reply back to his offer, Gabriel Agreste approached them, "What plans are being made here?" His voice slightly startled Adrien as he turned to face his father.

"Oh nothing Dad!" He played it coolly. "Dad, Lila. Lila, Dad."

"I know she's Lila." Adrien's charming smile dropped as his father burst his bubble. He directed his attention towards his female client, "You can go to Mr. Hunt, last cabin to the left. Go and sign your contract." His tone reflected a completely all business, no-nonsense mood.

"Uhm, Mr. Adrien was just saying – me and him, uh Bangkok…" She trailed off in her soft, naïve voice.

Adrien cleared his throat at her words in front of his father.

"Oh! I see. You and Adrien… Bangkok." Gabriel mused. He looked at his son with an amused smile, "but Adrien is going to _Gardenia._ "

Adrien wore the biggest o-face imaginable as he thought he heard that he was going to _GARDENIA?!_ Did he hear that right? _No way!_

"Will you go to Gardenia?" Gabriel urged Lila.

" _Gardenia?!_ " She repeated with disgust. "Nooo," she declined, horrified at the thought of going to _that_ village city.

"Last cabin to the left, Lila. Please," he commanded her, practically forcing her to leave him alone with his son.

As soon as Adrien saw the gorgeous Italian woman leave through the corner of his eye, he immediately came closer to his father, whispering in his ear in a soft voice. He couldn't even _say_ the dreaded place without anyone hearing him. " _Gardenia?_ When did this happen, Dad?"

"Why so surprised?" Gabriel said nonchalantly, as if it was no big deal at all. It was their hometown after all, nothing to be ashamed about. "I'm serious." He looked around to make sure he wasn't attracting attention towards himself and his son, "you're going to Gardenia tomorrow."

"Nice joke Dad." Adrien scoffed in return, _yeah right_. He laughed in disbelief. However, his laughter had disappeared in an instant as soon as he noticed his father pull out an air ticket from a pocket inside his blazer, "it's not a joke."

Before Adrien could even fathom what was happening, his father handed him the white coloured ticket paper. "This is your ticket. Go home and pack your stuff. You have a flight tomorrow morning." And with that, he left his son to gape away dumbfounded at the flight ticket to Gardenia in his hands.

"Departure from Bangkok, and arrival in Gardenia," he muttered to himself. _Just great_.

* * *

Adrien casually sat on the sofa in the grand hall of the Agreste Mansion, his home. His mother and brother were both sitting below him on the cushions on both sides of him. They had promised him that they would talk to his father as soon as he got home, and convince him to let him go to Bangkok, not Gardenia.

However, he jumped to his two feet onto the ground at once, seeing his father stride into the Grand Hall, a butler behind him carrying his briefcase and blazer.

"So. All set and ready to go?" He asked his son as he approached his family.

Everyone now got up off their seats on the couch as they noticed Gabriel's arrival. They all began to plead to let Adrien go to Bangkok instead of Gardenia.

But Gabriel gave no reply, no sign of budging from his firm decision.

His wife decided to take matters into her hands. There was no way she was going to let her son go to that wretch of a city. "Gabriel, please." She tried to appease him. "Let him go to Bangkok, it's for New Years."

"Emilie my dear, New Years comes and goes around every year. It'll be nice for him to go to Gardenia." He walked forward to stand beside his son who had a melancholy expression on his face. "He should go there, he doesn't even recognize half the faces there."

"Exactly Dad!" His son exclaimed in return, putting the glass of orange juice he had in his hands onto the oak coffee table in front of him. "I don't recognize ANY of the people there. And if I don't even remember anyone, then what's the point of _going_ Dad?" He questioned, grabbing a hold of his upper arms.

"Adrien," he said with an endearing tone. "Go live in Gardenia for a bit. Maybe something good can come out of it."

 _Yeah, right. In Gardenia – NO WAY!_ He urged his brother and his wife standing beside him to do something, and they subsequently began to plead again like no tomorrow. His mother also joined in, in the hopes that her husband would change his decision.

"Alright alright!" _No need to create a ruckus._ "So then Bangkok it is." Gabriel declared, being outnumbered.

"Thanks Dad you're the best!" Adrien exclaimed, he knew his dad loved him too much.

As his family members rejoiced and relaxed at Gabriel's new decision, Gabriel slyly pulled his phone out of his pocket of his trousers.

_Message Sent._

Adrien felt his phone suddenly vibrate in his pocket, and pulled it out.

_Message from: ECECI Bank_

_Dear Customer: Your Credit Card No: XXXXXXXX has been blocked. – ECECI Bank_

"Dad. You blocked my _cards?!_ "

Gabriel gave a sly smile as he turned towards his son. "Well son, the deal didn't include a part of your _cards_ being activated as well."

 _You gotta be kidding me_.

"Have fun in _Bangkok_." With a pop of his lips and an amused smirk, Adrien was astonished at his father's actions. He barely registered his leaving the living room and ascending the stairwell up to his master bedroom.

"Dad! _Pere_! Hold on a second, Dad! Wait!" Adrien called out for his father as he hastily followed him up the lavish staircase.

Gabriel walked on as Adrien closely trailed behind him, miffed about his decision. "Go to Gardenia first, and then I'll sponsor your trip to Bangkok, and that's a promise." His decision was firm, _no buts no excuses._

Adrien finally caught up to his fast-paced father. He stood in front of him, blocking him from going any further. "But Dad – What's in Gardenia?" Why was it so important for him to go to Gardenia right around New Years'?

"Marinette's wedding. In 7 days."

"Who Marinette?"

Putting an endearing hand on his shoulder, " _Our_ Marinette. Your dear friend - Sabine's _daughter_."

Adrien was left dumbfounded at the thought of Marinette as Gabriel left him alone standing in the middle of the second floor hallway. His mind drifted to the clearest memory he had of Marinette from his childhood.

* * *

Little ten-year-old Marinette was sitting on a lawn chair, crying waterfalls of tears as her mother started to use scissors to cut the bottom of her pigtails. She glared at ten-year-old Adrien who sat in a similar lawn chair across from her, sipping on his orange soda through a curly straw pursed to his lips. Seeing her state, little Adrien laughed to no extent.

"Mom! Adrien stuck gum in my hair!" She complained profusely to her mother as she stood behind her, trying to cut around the gum area of her hair.

"I told you not to mess with me, sucker!" He told the little girl, sticking his tongue out at her and pointing his index finger at her teary face.

"Well if I cry, I'm gonna make you cry too!" She threatened, sticking his finger at him.

"HA. I'm going back to Paris tomorrow. I'm never coming back! I hate you! Bye!" Adrien put his glass full of soda on the coffee table in front of him, and then got up. However, just as fast he felt himself being pushed down on the seat again. _Huh?_ He tried to get up again, but it was to no avail. Every time he raised his body to get up, he felt a force pushing him back down.

Marinette laughed as Adrien struggled to get out of his seat, even her mother found it funny. _Ah, revenge is sweeeet_. Gabriel approached his son as he began to fuss in his seat, on the verge of tears.

"Daddy! Sabby!" He shouted as he felt his father put a hand on his shoulder. "That Marinette put glue on my chair!" He complained to his daddy as he turned in his seat to face him.

"Oh dear," Gabriel sympathized with his son with a soft voice. "Marinette my dear, what have you done?" He teased as he picked his little dude up into his arms, causing his pants to fall down in the process.

Marinette laughed wholeheartedly as she saw a little Adrien in Gabriel's arms, wearing nothing but red underwear on the lower part of his skinny body. Her mother joined in her laughter as she noticed the small tiff between the two kids, _so cute_.

" **Remember – whenever** _ **I**_ **get my hair cut,** _ **your**_ **pants will fall down!**!" Marinette gave him an ultimatum.

* * *

Adrien's mind drifted back to the present as he contemplated the thought of going all the way to Gardenia for _that_ Marinette. God, he used to hate her so much when they were kids.

He sat on his bean-bag chair in front of his dressing table mirror, determined to never go to Gardenia. "Not today, not ever." He said to no one in particular but himself. "And especially not for that _crybaby_ Marinette."

"God, stupid Marinette. She was such a wild one! I bet she's even more feisty now. Who knows what unlucky guy is having to marry her." His monologue to himself was interrupted as he heard his name being called out to him by his father, his basketball being thrown at his face. Having quick reflexes, Adrien turned around in time to grip the ball in his hands.

"So. You've decided then." His father said as he sat on the corner of his king sized bed beside him. "You're not going."

"No way Dad. Never."

* * *

Adrien and Nino arrived at the airport of Gardenia the next early morning, and Adrien admired his surroundings as he took in how beautiful the city really was. Nino was just about to fetch for a taxi, but was halted midway when he heard Adrien's voice.

"Screw the taxi, and run!" Adrien called out behind him as he jogged towards a bus driving in front of him. It was so cool-looking to him. It ran on wheels, but yet its exterior was like a choo-choo train. _I am SO getting on one of those_.

As both friends climbed aboard the moving bus, they sat in two empty seats by the open window. Adrien settled himself inside and remembered his father's words that convinced him to come to Gardenia.

" _Adrien, I want you to run an errand for me there – think of it as your first salary."_

" _What do you mean Dad?"_

" _Look. Marinette's getting married, and I want to give her parents some financial aid. But they've humly declined."_

" _So basically you want me to convince them to say yes."_

" _Exactly. If you can get a 'yes' out of either the mother or the daughter, 50,000 Euros is yours, and you're free to go to Bangkok, all bank cards inclusive."_

While Adrien was busy pondering about his reason for coming to Gardenia, Marinette was doing the same, riding her bike through the bright streets of the beautiful town. Except the difference was, what she was pondering about had to do with Nathaniel Kurtzberg, and the conversation she had with him yesterday night. She could still hear his crisp, deep voice in her head —

 _"I'll be waiting for your answer tomorrow at noon._ _At Château de_   _Verre_ _."_

She cycled on as she thought of his words. He wanted to meet her to know her answer – her 'yes or no' as he termed it - to know if she likes him the way he likes her. To know whether she really does approve of their new relationship. What a gentleman. He seemed so charming, yet poised. It was all so thrilling and exciting to her. But what would she say when he came in front of her? She was getting so giddy and nervous just thinking of coming face to face with the man she saw in the photo, how would she able to keep her cool and not act like a little fangirl?

"Oh, I should've done some research on him." _Maybe at least checked his facebook or something?_

—

Nino looked at his iPad in his hands in heavy concentration. He squinted his eyes as he attempted to get past the boss level on the game he was playing. However, his mind had an internal freak out when he felt his iPad being snatched out of his hands. He looked to his left to see Adrien pressing his finger on the screen, exiting the app to go to the Safari web browsing app.

"Hey! What'd you do that for?"

"Research, my friend." Adrien answered with a smile as he logged in to facebook. "What name did Dad say again?" He knew it was Marinette, but he didn't know her full name. He mused, trying to think hard as he started to type into the facebook search bar, "Marinette….Dupain-Cheng."

He impatiently looked at his profile photo, which was on the home page. Why wouldn't the page load faster? He couldn't wait to see how she looked. _I bet she's still the same – those blue pigtails and crybaby face._ But Adrien was in for a shocker when her profile began to load onto the screen. His eyes almost shot out of his sockets at the sight of her photo, clicking on it to further enlarge the image. Completely absorbed into her beauty, his eyes softened as he looked on at the picture. It was a candid shot of Marinette on a small rowboat, her hair blowing in the wind as she looked away from the camera. He just couldn't tear his infatuated eyes away from her – she had these big, beautiful eyes, and blue hair that shone like… well, he couldn't describe it. And then her face! It was round, yet so _beautiful_.

He had finally found her.

A ghost of a smile played on his lips as he pulled out his ringing phone from his pocket in his jeans, not wavering his gaze away from her profile picture. "Hey Dad, yeah I'm here." His smile turned into a wide grin as he continued to admire Marinette on his screen, "Get ready to hear that yes. Now the mother or the daughter just needs to come in front of your son just once, Dad." He told his father confidently. Then it was bye-bye Gardenia, and hello Bangkok.

Adrien felt his body hurl slightly forward as he began to continue talking to his dad on his phone. The bus had halted to a stop, courtesy of a traffic light. Marinette's bike had also halted to a stop as she pressed her hands on her brakes to stop at the stoplight… in the lane right next to the bus. Unaware of who was sitting inside, she stared blankly out in front of her, impatient to get to Château de Verre to finally be face to face with Nathaniel. She couldn't be late – it would make the worst first impression ever.

As he leisurely looked out his open window, Adrien's eyes immediately became wide in shock, his jaw dropping at the sight before him. A girl with blue hair sat on a pink and white bike, parked at the stoplight in the lane right beside him. "Dad, hold on a second." The hand that was held to his ear subconsciously dropped to his side as he turned his attention towards the beautiful girl before him. Mesmerized by her beauty, he gazed at her as she blankly stared out at the road in front of her. Adrien blinked his eyes back, unable to believe his eyes. He looked back at the screen on his friend's iPad he was holding in his hands – the photo of Marinette was still present. She looked even more beautiful in person! A flashback of an image of a crybaby Marinette flashed into his mind, and he snapped his head back towards the Marinette that was before him, sitting on her bike in the lane right next to him. He couldn't believe it – THAT was Marinette? How was it possible? She grew up to be quite the looker.

He looked down at the picture once more. Same eyes, lips, hair, face complexion – everything! _That – that's HER!_ Wow, she looked so much more beautiful in person. What were the chances that he'd see her right beside him right now!

The traffic light signaled green, and with that Marinette stepped on her bike pedal, riding down the street to reach her destination.

Adrien watched as Marinette rode past the still bus he was sitting in. Her bike had already went down the street, but the bus hadn't moved an inch, due to the trafficking cars in front of their lane.

He couldn't let her get away. She was his ticket to Bangkok. Plus, a part of him was smitten and intrigued by her. Not wanting to waste another second, he jumped out of his seat and out the bus in pursuit of her. His friend's appalled cries for him as he jumped out went unnoticed by him as he ran down the traffic roads, chasing after her.

* * *

Marinette parked her bike outside, and gracefully entered the open courtyard of the palace. Adrien also entered shortly after, following in her footsteps, his right hand gripped onto the shoulder strap of his black and red backpack-duffel bag hanging on his right shoulder. A smile played on his lips as he walked through the corridors of the palace, confident and determined that it wasn't long now until he found her. He caught sight of her ahead of him, and he grinned as he walked a few feet behind her.

As he entered into another open corridor, he lost sight of her. He walked on as he took in his surroundings, his eyes searching for the girl he had just seen moments ago. He turned around, looking all around to see a glimpse of her again. But she was nowhere to be seen. How could she just disappear like that?

* * *

"Once upon a time, there was a man named Prince Chat Noir, and a woman named Princess Ladybug." The tourist guide started as a crowd of intrigued tourists began to form before him, intrigued to know about the castle. Some say it was history, some a legend – a story. Nonetheless, it was a story that led to boundless love. "They were friends ever since they were wee little children. Friends… yet enemies." The guide told them, a storytelling narrative tone apparent in his voice. "Whether there was hatred between them, or love… neither could they understand, nor could anyone else." The man telling the story began to cough a couple times, interrupting the flow, and then began again. "Every time – " However, the phlegm in his throat was getting the best of him, causing him to cough more violently now, unable to continue the story. The man heard Marinette's voice beside him as she offered to tell the story instead, and for him to go rest. He gladly complied, leaving Marinette to tell the rest of the story to the tourists that had taken much interest in the palace and its story.

"Prince Chat Noir loved to annoy Princess Ladybug. But Princess Ladybug? She was a fighter. She always gave it back to him. Time played its toll, and both of them grew up. Princess Ladybug was to be wed – suitors from far away lands came to ask for her hand in marriage. A ceremony was held in which Princess Ladybug was to choose her suitor that she would like to marry. And Prince Chat Noir? He turned up _uninvited_ to the ceremony!"

Adrien noticed a crowd gathering in front of the outdoor water fountain in the courtyard. Intrigued, he pushed past people as he heard a sweet voice telling some sappy story of a prince and a princess. Adrien stood behind a couple people in front of him, keenly listening on, trying to get a glimpse of the girl who the voice belonged to.

"Then Prince Chat Noir defeated all the other suitors, and emerged out of the crowd, aasking Princess Ladybug as he stood in front of her – "

_**"Yes or no?"** _

Marinette turned around to hear a deep male voice, and her jaw dropped in response, shocked at seeing Adrien in front of her. Or rather, in her perspective… _Nathaniel_. She was tongue-tied, speechless. She didn't know what to say. It was all so exciting, just like she imagined in her dreams. Her prince, Mr. Right coming out of the crowd and asking her to marry her. A smile crept upon her lips as she looked down at the ground, hot blush apparent on her cheeks. She knew it was totally unrealistic and cliché, and never expected in her life that Nathaniel would ever have the charm or guts to do something like this. He seemed quite shy and poised when she had talked to him last night. Come to think of it, the voice that rang in her head since this morning and the voice that spoke to her just now were so different. They didn't match up at all. But of course, sanity went out the window at the sight of her fiance right in front of her in the flesh. 

"So what did Princess Ladybug say?" A young woman from the crowd interrupted their moment, eager to know more about the story. Little did she know that the story was parallel to the story that Adrien and Marinette would soon share.

Marinette was jolted out of her reverie as she heard the voice of the tourist and looked up at Adrien, who was also expecting an answer. She looked at the tourist as she answered back, "Oh, I won't tell you _that._ You'll find your answer to _that_ question in the walls of this palace. Where the story of Prince Chat Noir and Princess Ladybug is etched. So go on, find your answer."

Adrien looked at Marinette as she cleverly answered the tourist, without giving a clear answer to him. _Impressive. Beauty with brains._ His gaze didn't waver from her face as people started to scatter and roam around the different halls and passages of the palace. Both individuals stood in place – Marinette awkwardly stood, fidgeting with her fingers, while Adrien had an intense gaze on her, unwavering. Moments passed, and she stole glances at him from time to time as he looked at her.

Realizing the latter was not budging, Adrien took his red duffel backpack off his shoulders and set it on the ground by his right leg. "So tell me – yes or no?"

Marinette bashfully smiled as Adrien looked at her, expecting her answer. _Oh, I'm not giving in that easy._ "You can find your answer in the walls." She told him, giving the same answer she had given to the tourist moments ago.

"I don't have time to go look in those walls for my answer." He wittingly replied with a smirk. "I've come here with a challenge, Marinette. And I'm not leaving without an answer."

Marinette was taken aback by his nature. She'd never met someone who was as head to head or stubborn as she was. Maybe her mother was right – maybe her Mr. Right was like her.

He asked again, "Yes or no?"

She felt like melting at the sound of his deep voice. It was so soothing, so charming. Like straight out of a fairytale. Nervous, she began to look up, down, left, right, anywhere but at his intense gaze on her. Adrien noticed Marinette starting to fidget with her fingers as he continued to look at her.

" _YES."_ It felt like her voice echoed throughout the whole palace; but more importantly, it echoed into the ears of the person that mattered the most – who she perceived as Nathaniel, her future husband. A successful smile played on Adrien's lips as he heard her answer, feeling triumphant at his accomplishments. Doves and other beautiful species of birds began to soar in the air near them as the duo peered at each other.

A relieved look flashed across Marinette's face as she finally said the word. It felt so good – no more tension, it was out in the open. He finally knew how she felt. And she knew by their conversation last night, he felt the same way.

She then noticed the bag by Nathaniel's legs – "Where are you going with that bag?"

"Your home, of course." _Wasn't it obvious? Where else would he go?_

Marinette immediately began to blush red hot at the thought of Nathaniel coming to her home to take her away to his home. She thought of his words as a romantic metaphor of their future relationship. Unable to contain her happiness, she gracefully fled the courtyard, disappearing down into the corridor in front of her. Adrien watched in a surprised manner as she fled away from him, blushing in a shy manner. Why was she acting like some shy Disney princess? "What's there to shy about?" He questioned aloud.

He brought the phone he had in his right hand up to his ear, as his father was still on the other line. "Did you hear Marinette's 'yes', Dad?"

"Yes, my son. I heard it." Gabriel answered on the other line, as he stood near his extravagant, lavish bookcase, a book in hand. "Now go and give the money to Sabine. But pray tell, how exactly did you get such a stubborn girl to say yes?"

"There's something called _charm_ Dad – which your son has loads of." Adrien replied to his father as he picked up his duffel bag off the ground and put it on his right shoulder. "Make sure my first paycheck is ready for me," he told Gabriel confidently. "Love you, bye." Adrien bid his father adieu as he walked down the corridor that Marinette had bashfully fled down moments before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like Marinette has gravely misunderstood Adrien for Nathaniel. Will Adrien ever be able to read in between the lines and learn the truth? And if so, what will he do about it?


End file.
